The logic is clear enough. The EU’s choice would be between no backstop and nothing else either; or no backstop and agreement on everything else.
Let us hope not. It’s unlikely, but not completely impossible. The Government must battle four trends to reduce the risk.
EU leaders should recognise that May is serious in trying to reach a negotiated deal that has a chance of passing Parliament.
These politicians have no idea about the wave of contempt that will engulf them, just as they didn’t understand England outside the M25 in 2016.
Perhaps, against all the odds, we will find a way of muddling through and preserve our broad church for a time after the era of Brexit has passed.
Pandering to nationalist sentiments didn’t save his socialists from a crushing electoral defeat. He should return to his previous course.
And: For May, there should be no way back from losing. My Tory leadership straw poll. Cox, a man of substance and integrity. Plus, Tower of Power extra: Dick for Iain.
Also: Welsh Labour choose their new leader (and First Minister) this afternoon; Scottish Tories attack SNP over tax divergence plans.
The Gilets Jaunes protests are not just a challenge to his tax policy, but to the democratically elected government of France. He must hit back.
If all this is correct, the EEA route seems to me a sensible way forward if Parliament can’t agree on a deal.
Ultimately, we are working to ‘design out’ homelessness entirely, by helping at-risk people before they get to a crisis point.
This Withdrawal Agreement would leave us half in and half out of the EU as a ‘vassal state’. It is a denial of the votes of 17.4 million people to leave the EU.
But it could take the ruling out of all other options before we get there. And if MPs ends up reaching a consensus view, then the Government will have to adopt it.
Plus: Keep the Brexit TV debate simple. Giving Allin-Khan and Duncan a piece of my mind. And: Carney – we’ve heard it all before.
Also: Jones accused of ‘pre-judging’ allegations against former minister as inquiry continues; and May clashes with Sturgeon over independence.